With all the drama and pathos that plays out each and every day here in the Linux blogosphere, the temptation to equate the stories of today with classic tales from the world of literature can sometimes be overwhelming. Take the world of Linux desktops, for example. For years the users lived happily under the reign of GNOME 2; suddenly, Unity and GNOME 3 appeared on the horizon, and that simple world changed forever. GNOME 2 was banished from the castle grounds, and loyal subjects across the land fell into a deep state of mourning.

For me, the damage is done. I'll not return to Gnome any time soon. Mate works fine for me, and if Mate should ultimately fail, then I'm half confident that Enlightenment will be ready to roll. (It already works pretty well, it just needs to be finished up, and taken out of beta!)